Burke's Way
by FreekyDisaster18
Summary: It's been three months since Robbie disappeared but Burke now knows where he is and he's going to reunite his team.


**AUTHORS NOTE: So I've realised myself after reading it since that The Only Way shouldn't be a stand alone story so I've picked my brain and think it's going to make a wonderful three parter. I hope you all like.**

**WARNING: It's a sequel to The Only Way.**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC's**

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**Burke's Way**

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It had been three months since Robbie had sent Jackie the letter explaining that his life had been hindered by the terminal illness of cancer. She had told Burke and Stuart of the letter but had made it clear that once that conversation was over she didn't want them to talk about it ever again and they both understood. They never spoke of the situation again. Well at least in front of her.

Burke and Stuart had agreed that they would find Robbie and make him see sense. This was definitely the case after Jackie had collapsed one afternoon while out on the field and it became apparent that the woman was living on a diet of either just vodka or nothing at all. The guys preferred neither option so they decided that it was time to fix it. There had also been another factor that had caused her to faint. A factor that had made her re-think her decisions but they both knew she was still in a depressive pit.

It had taken Burke three months to track the man down and that's how he found himself standing outside the rich manor house, it had originally belonged Robbie's grandparents. Burke found himself staring at the house and wondering why the guy had ever needed to work a day in his life. He knocked at the door and wasn't surprised to hear Robbie groan when he opened the door.

Robbie looked a mess. His eyes were sullen, bruised and his skin was a gaunt yellow that showed that he wasn't coping well to the treatments that he was being given by the doctors. He was carrying a drip with him and he staggered at the door as if he had no balance. "What are you doing here boss?"

"I thought I'd come by and see if you were coping as bad as Jackie was." The dig was low and Burke felt bad as soon as he'd uttered it because he watched as Robbie's face fell, his hand clutching at his chest as if he was struggling to breathe. Burke moved over and helped Robbie into the living room. Once Robbie was settled in a chair, Burke sat down across from him. "How are you, Robbie?"

"The doctors think we might have caught it early enough." He mumbled as he coughed, his hands trembling in front of his mouth and Burke found himself wishing that he hadn't come. He hated seeing Robbie like this.

"What does that mean?"

"It either means that I'll either not die or I'll have longer left then we originally thought."

"Do you think you'll come back to Glasgow?"

"I can't do that to Jackie." He whispered as he looked down at the floor. "We saw what she was like when Brian died and I can't see her go through that again." Burke couldn't get angry. He knew that Robbie had a point with that statement. Jackie had been a mess when her husband had told her that he was dying and when he did die, she was even worse. He knew that if the point came to Robbie's death, the woman would probably have a nervous breakdown. Well one much worse than she was having now.

"I think you'll need to do it, Robbie, because she already is a mess." Robbie looked over at his boss with confusion. His expression a silent plead for more of an explanation. "She doesn't eat, she doesn't sleep, she doesn't socialise. She's been nearly suspended three times for messing up a case. I can just say we're lucky Stuart is so good at noticing her errors or we'd have all been fired a long time ago."

"That doesn't sound like Jackie, boss." Robbie pointed out as he watched his boss stand up. A part of him wanted to plead the boss to stay a little longer. He had craved to see them all for so long. He didn't even care if it was Burke yelling at him. He had just missed them all so much but he still believed that running away had been a wise choice.

"We know that but then again, I never thought running away was a you thing you would do either." Burke grabbed hold of his coat and sighed. "Robbie, I'm not begging you to come back but I do think that if you got to spend the final months that you have with each other then you'll both be happier. She eventually moved past the stage of no return with Brian and I'm sure she'll be able to do the same with you but you won't give her a chance. You just wrote her a stupid letter."

"If I had said it to her face then I'd have chickened out. You know I'm a coward sir!" The guy coughed again and Burke realised that he needed to get his young DI to calm down before he got too over excited. He dropped his coat and moved over to sit next to Robbie.

"You're not a coward, Robbie." He promised. "You're the bravest person I've ever met strangely enough. You and Stuart both. I've watched you both grow in strength and I'm so happy to have had that moment. There is no one more than sorry than me that you've pulled this illness and not one of us is strong enough to help fight it. I just wish that you would reconsider your choice to run away."

"I have nothing to offer you all but heartache."

"That might be true but I know we have something to offer you."

"And what's that?"

Burke hadn't intended to use this piece of information but he knew it was his way now to make Robbie realise that he was needed back with them. "You're going to be a daddy." Those were the last words Burke said before leaving Robbie to think them over.


End file.
